Many owner’s manuals have grown to over 500 pages, clogging glove boxes, overwhelming readers, and killing trees. (Read “The Ultimate Reading Room - BMW owner's manual.”) Chrysler has announced for the 2010 model year, it will replace the traditional owner’s manuals with abbreviated 60-80 page guides and DVDs. The move will save a claimed 930 tons of paper, also known as 20,000 trees. Customers can also receive a printed manual for free, if desired.
 
The DVDs will provide instructions for the operating and maintaining the vehicle. Moving these publications into the digital era means that video can be used to show how features work. This can be particularly useful in demonstrating how to lower and raise a cloth Jeep Wrangler top--a tricky procedure for a new owner. Emergency-focused information, such as how to change a tire, will be included in the printed supplement.
 
As presented, this does sound like a good way to save resources and even shed fuel-consuming pounds from each vehicle. However, watching the video demonstration of the DVD has me wondering if analog manuals are quicker and easier to use. Just open, scan the index, and flip to the page. Any answer delivered in seconds. Flipping pages is certainly quicker than running into the house and firing up a DVD player or computer and clicking through menus. For those who truly venture off-road with their Jeeps, it would be a good idea to carry a printed manual among your essential survival gear.
 
Chrysler could take the digital concept further by making the owner’s manuals and videos available for access via smart phones. This would be the best of both worlds, providing instant access and multimedia, so long as there is cellular service. As an alternative, the digitized manual could be downloadable as an application. With either approach, any updates by Chrysler would be automatically made available to customers, rather than ship a supplement or new DVD.
 
I can see it now, tomorrow’s Wrangler driver will be armed with the proverbial bailing wire and duct tape while referring to an iPhone for instructions. At least the paperless manuals would be advancing the Tread Lightly cause.
 
—Jeff Bartlett